Incwadi Yakuqala
KaPhethro
1
1 UPhethro, umpostoli kaJesu Khristu,
Kwabakhethiweyo bakaNkulunkulu, lasezihambini emhlabeni labahlakazekileyo kulolonke elasePhontusi, laseGalathiya, laseKhaphadokhiya, lase-Ezhiya kanye laseBhithiniya, 2 abakhethwe ngokumayelana lokwazi mandulo kukaNkulunkulu uBaba, ngomsebenzi ongcwelisayo kaMoya, ngokulalela uJesu Khristu langokuchelwa ngegazi lakhe:
Umusa lokuthula kakube ngokwenu ngokwandileyo.
Ukudumisa UNkulunkulu Ngenxa Yethemba Eliphilayo
3 Udumo kalube kuNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu! Ngenxa yesihawu sakhe esikhulu usinike ukuzalwa kutsha ethembeni eliphilayo ngokuvuka kwabafileyo kukaJesu Khristu, 4 kanye laselifeni elingasoze libole, lonakale loba libune njalo eliligcinelweyo ezulwini. 5 Ngokukholwa livikelwe ngamandla kaNkulunkulu kuze kufike ukusindiswa okulungiselwe ukubonakaliswa ngesikhathi sokucina. 6 Liyathokoza kakhulu ngalokhu lanxa like lahlupheka okwesikhatshana ngezinsizi zezinhlobo zonke zezilingo. 7 Zifikile ukuze ukukholwa kwenu okulinganisiweyo, okuqakatheke kakhulu kulegolide, elonakalayo lanxa licengwe ngomlilo kubonakaliswe kuqotho njalo kulethe ukubonga, lenkazimulo kanye lodumo lapho uJesu Khristu esebonakaliswa. 8 Lanxa lingambonanga, liyamthanda; njalo lanxa lingamboni khathesi, liyakholwa kuye njalo ligcwele intokozo engakhulumekiyo lemangalisayo, 9 ngoba lamukela umvuzo wokukholwa kwenu, ukusindiswa kwemiphefumulo yenu.
10 Mayelana lokusindiswa lokhu, abaphrofethi abakhuluma ngomusa owawuzakuza kini, badingisisa ngesineke esikhulu, 11 bezama ukwazi isikhathi lomumo okwakutshiwo nguMoya kaKhristu owayekubo lapho atsho mandulo ngezinhlupheko zikaKhristu lenkazimulo eyayizalandela. 12 Kwabonakaliswa kubo ukuthi bona babengazisebenzeli kodwa besebenzela lina lapho babekhuluma ngezinto khathesi eselizitshelwe yilabo abatshumayele ivangeli kini ngoMoya oNgcwele owathunywa evela ezulwini. Lezingilosi ziyafisa ukuzibona lezizinto.
Wobani Ngcwele
13 Ngakho-ke, lungiselani ingqondo zenu okungenziwa; zithibeni; bekani ithemba lenu ngokupheleleyo emuseni elizawuthola lapho uJesu Khristu esebonakaliswa. 14 Njengabantwana abalalelayo lingavumeli izinkanuko ezimbi elalilazo lingakazi. 15 Kodwa njengoba lowo owalibizayo engcwele, ngakho wobani ngcwele kukho konke elikwenzayo; 16 ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Wobani ngcwele ngoba mina ngingcwele.”*
17 Njengoba likhuleka kuYihlo owahlulela imisebenzi yomuntu ngamunye kungekho bandlululo, philani impilo yenu lapha njengezihambi ngokuhlonipha. 18 Ngoba liyakwazi ukuthi kalihlengwanga ngezinto ezifayo ezinjengegolide lesiliva endleleni yokuphila eyize elakutshiyelwa ngokhokho benu, 19 kodwa ngegazi eliligugu likaKhristu imvana engelacala loba isici. 20 Wakhethwa umhlaba ungakadalwa, kodwa wabonakaliswa ngalezi izikhathi zokucina ngenxa yenu. 21 Ngaye liyakholwa kuNkulunkulu, owamvusa kwabafileyo wamnika inkazimulo, ngakho ukukholwa kwenu lethemba kukuNkulunkulu.
22 Njengoba khathesi selizihlambulule ngokulalela iqiniso ukuze libe lothando oluqotho kubazalwane benu, thandanani kakhulu, kusuka enhliziyweni. 23 Ngoba selizelwe kutsha, kungasikho ngenhlanyelo ebolayo, kodwa ngengaboliyo, ngelizwi eliphilayo eliqinileyo likaNkulunkulu. 24 Ngoba,
“Abantu bonke banjengotshani,
bonke ubukhosi babo bunjengamaluba eganga;
utshani buyabuna njalo amaluba ayakhithika,
25 kodwa ilizwi leNkosi limi kuze kube nini lanini.”†
Njalo leli yilo ilizwi elatshunyayelwa kini.
* 1:16 ULevi 11.44-45; 19.2 † 1:25 U-Isaya 40.6-8